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Added 9 October 2026

without

/wɪðˈaʊt/ adverb

In Latin: sine, absque Wiktionary

adverb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about without at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Outside, externally.
Lacking something; failing.
Being from a large, poor family, he learned to live without.
Without a condom being worn.

preposition

Outside of, beyond.
Not having, containing, characteristic of, etc.
It was a mistake to leave my house without a coat.
Not doing or not having done something.
He likes to eat everything without sharing.

conjunction

Unless, except (introducing a clause).

noun

Someone or something lacking in something.

Origin

From Middle English withoute, withouten, from Old English wiþūtan (literally “against the outside of”). By surface analysis, with- + out. Compare Dutch buiten (“outside of, without”), Danish uden (“without”), Swedish utan (“without”), Norwegian uten (“without”). Superseded non-native Middle English sauns, sans (“without”), from Old French sans, sanz, senz (“without”). Compare typologically Proto-Slavic *bez (“without”) (<+ Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs (“out”)).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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